The Malaga region of the Costa del Sol is thankfully
criss-crossed by numerous marked walking and trekking routes, they are
categorised as GR (Grande Ruta) being the long distance hikes some of which are
well over 100 kms. The PR (pequeña ruta) small or shorter routes and then there
are the more local short routes. We walked today the PR-A-274 which started and
ended in Guaro, but the first part of the route was merged with the GR243 route
which is over 94 kms in length and ends in Rhonda.
This was our ad-hoc Thursday walk of discovery, a time to
explore new routes so that we can consider their suitability for the group and
grade them, todays route turned out to be a 4+ out of 5 for difficulty.
The walk starts with a very steep decline, albeit on a well
surfaced track, indeed even concrete in places and this decline continued for
the first kilometre with very little easing off of the gradient.
We then found ourselves in the valley bottom, walking beside
Arroyo Seco with its babbling waterfalls. This part of the track was skirted
with Oleaner trees and I could imagine that in the summer the colours would be
stunning.
We crossed a well constructed bridge over the Arroyo and shortly
after the route split and we took the right turn and started out ascent,
following the marked route in an anticlockwise direction.
The track was still in good condition, and the ascent was
continuous with some quite steep parts and virtually no levels sections, it was skirted in many places with wild Lavender with its flowers like mini thistles and wonderful aroma when touched. The
views, as we ascended, became spectacular, with every turn of the track, a new
and equally spectacular vista emerged. This route took us through areas of
Almond groves with their delicate pink flowers, ancient Olive groves whose
trees had trunks weathered into unbelievable shapes the track was also edged in
places with Cork Oaks, but also there were Pine Trees that housed the deadly
Caterpillar nests.
As we climbed higher the track started to turn west, the
views now across the Rio Grande valley towards Alozaina.
We were now approaching the summit and as we did the wind started to become quite strong and was blowing the blossom from the Almond trees which at this height looked as if it was snowing. We had reached the point where the PR route left the GR route just short of the summit.
Unfortunately our route had deteriorated into a narrowing
path, and before too long the rain water had eroded the path into a narrow
gully, but as we have had very little rain of late the path was dry. After a
short decline along this fairly difficult path we reached a point where the
track was being improved and indeed we soon passed the digger doing the work.
We were placing footprints into virgin soil in the same way that Neil Armstrong
had done on the moon.
The descent was as relentless as the ascent with little level
walking until we reached almost the valley floor. We then joined the track on
which we had started and over the bridge, along the avenue of Oleaner trees and
it was then the steep climb back to the starting point and the welcome sight of
our parked cars.
We have been very fortunate and privileged to walk in some
of the most stunning countryside in Spain if not even Europe, and this walk
comes very near to the top of the list for spectacular views.
No comments:
Post a Comment